Lug cap



y E. B. KRAMER ET AL 2,008,587

LUG CAP Filed Sept. 16, 1932 $60 Kramer Z dazzrd 11.3mm]:

M4 1 K Q XI QM I,

Patented July 16, 1935 LUG on Eric B. Kramer and Edward M. Enkur, Baltimore,

Md, assignors to Crown Cork & Seal Company,

, Ino., Baltimore, Md., a corporation of New York Application September 16, 1932, Serial No. 633,513

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to caps or closures, and more particularly, to caps commonly known as lug caps for use on glass bottles and containers'which have threads thereon, wherel-by,' upon rotation of the cap, the lugs will ento-form'a lug from the beaded edge of a cap in gage the threads and securely lock the cap on the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a lug cap which has a stronger and more substantial locking lug than caps of this type which have beenheretofore used, and which will, therefore,

afford a greater sealing pressure against themouth of the container.

A further object of the invention is to produce a lug having a novel form characterized by increased strength and rigidity and including a wedge-like thread'contacting surface. Heretofore, it has been proposed to form lugs in the skirt of a cap provided with a generally wedge- "shaped contour, butbecause of the thin nature of the metalin the cap skirt, lugs of this type have not had sufficient strength and rigidity to function properly.

from the use of a wedge'surf ace have, in the past, been lost by the fact that the lugs were inherently weak. It has also been proposed in the past lugs formed from the material of the skirt between the top and'bead. The present invention contemplatessecuring all of the functional benefits and advantages'of the wedge-shaped lug, and also all of the advantages of strength and rigidity resulting from forming the lug'from the material of the beaded edge. This is accomplished by deflecting a pertiono-f the bead itself into the form of a Wedge It is apfurther object of the presentinvention to form the lug in such a manner that the major "portion, of the bead which is forced inwardly is not, distorted and not collapsed-while the innermost, terminal portion thereof which is the principal thread contacting portion is collapsed, compacted, and strengthened. Thus, the thread contacting portion of the lug ishardened to resist wear, and strengthened to prevent defiecw tion from normal position upon the application of the cap to a container. I

It is a further object of the present invention Consequently, any advan-' tages which might have been expected to flow such a'manner that a-wedge-shaped thread con tacting surface is provided, and without destroy} ing the appearance of the cap by forcing the lower edge of the head at the lug portion out of line with the major circumferential portion of the bead around'the cap; Although the thread contacting surface of the lug of the present inwords, the lower edge of the bead below the lug,

tal plane.

The lugof the present invention has a radially shallow and axially narrow forward end, considered from the point of view of the direction of rotation applied to the cap in locking the same the bead. The rear end of the lug is radially vention is inclined a substantial degree with re-, spect to the plane of the top circumferentially of the cap, the lower edge of the lug, or in other is only'slightly inclined, if at all, from a horizondeeper and axially wider than the forward "end substantially radially disposed portion. Preferably, the bead or'rolled edge at the rear end of the lug and at the outwardly turned portion is substantially collapsed.

In the accompanying drawing, a preferred em bodiment of the invention is shown, in which,

Figure 1 is a bottom plan View of a cap,

Figure2 is a side view-showing one of the lugs;

in elevation,

on line 33 of Figure 1, showing one lug in elevation and another in section,

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the lug; of the present invention taken from the outside of the cap, and

Figure 5is a perspective view of thelug taken from the inside of the cap. i

In the drawing, a cap comprising a top ill, a depending skirt l I having a rolled or beaded edge I 2 is disclosed. Although in the specific embodi it will be'understood that the inventionment illustrated, four locking lugs I 3 are illusis not limited to this number, and one or more may be employed. The cap skirt II is preferably provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs and grooves, or knurls H, which provide a roughened Figure '3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken short substantially radially disposedsection" 282' In mosteases, this section 28 of the bead will be completely collapsed during the forming op-- eration. Also, the inner or rear end IQ of the lug will also be collapsed and the material there of compacted and hardened. The upper surface 2i ofthelug immediately above the bead is inclined'iwith respect to the plane of the top in a direction circumferentially of the cap. Thus, the forward end 22 of the thread contacting upper surface adjacent the forward end [8 of the lug, merges with the cylindrical portion of the skirt and is more-remote frqm the plane of the-cap top than the rear end 23- of the thread contacting surface. .As a result,- a wedge-like surface is provided which .is inclined upwardly inv the'direction of rotationof 25 the capfso that it rides-under and. bindsupona thread projection, or lu'gfipositioned upon the container. v

It will be understood that the rear end 23 of the thread contacting surface will receive most- ;;of wear and locking-strainlwhen the'cap is tightly appliedto a container. In' orderto make thisfiportion of. the surface. strong. andresistant to wear, we compress and collapse the material of the. bead adjacent thereto. 7 Further, in many cases', it isdesirableto leave an-upper'portion- 25""of the bead directlyunderlying. this surface a substantially!horizontally disposed position toact'fas. a reinforcingkmember. Referring to Figurel ior th'e'drawing, it will be noted that the 40 portion 2 5iofthebead's'pans the corner between;

th'efsections 20 and I9 of the lug and underlies the'thi'eadcontactingsurface 2L Although the head at this point is preferably completely collapsedithe'upper portion 2 5'i's not struck inward;

" Iy Ito th'e same degree that the lower portions of I the bead'are'; and serves as a connecting and=re- .info l'cing member for the strain .recei'ving portion of .the'lug' From aninspectionof Fi ures, it will be noted that the'ilotver edge of the lug is only slightly incline'dto a horizontalpla-ne whereas the upper threadc'ontacting" surface is inclined a substantial degree with respect thereto. Thus, the uni-' form appearance of the cap is not impaired, but

5all"'of"th"e' advantages of an inclined thread 6111- gaging surfaceare secure'dfi a r .Actualiuse'of the capoffth'e present invention shows thatth lug isiextrem'ely rugged inconstruction and that it provides a wedge-like lock- GOQ-mg'Sul'faoeWhi ch functionslina ne wand'improved manner in thatitbindslitselfiupon the thread of the'recepta cl'e and locks thelcap there to'fwitfia maximunr of sealing pressure 'by'the applicationofa minimum "of turning force. The 652: lug? beingflform'ed from the material of the bead, is of 'such rigid "construction that itcannot be I force-thereto. I

Although) 'the invention has been described, in: 7 detail, it will be: understood "that it is not limited to all feaitures :set forth in the 1 drawing: and 1 in jacent said rear end of ,said Iugbeing. collapsed;

the foregoing description, and that modifications maymbermade without departing:from the scope ofthe-invention.-

Ti we claim:

1. A closure cap comprising a top, a skirt terminating in a circumferential rolled bead, and a plurality of locking lugs formed in said bead, each of said lugs comprising an inwardly struck por-- tion of said bead having a shallow forward end 5 merging into a circumferential portion of said bead, and a deep rear end displaced radially inwardlya substantialdistance from the circumferential portion ofsaid beadadjacentsaid rear end and joined thereto by an abruptly outwardly :10 turned'portion of said bead, the bead adjacent said-outwardly turned portion being flattened V to provide angularly disposed webs adapted to strengthen said lug;

21A rotatableclosure cap comprising a top, a 15 skirt terminating inaa rolled bead, and'a plurality of locking lugs, each formed by bodily displacing a section ofsaid bead inwardly, each of said lugshaving a radially shallow and axially narrowforward end in the rotational direction of 20 applying said cap to a receptacle;andaradialiy deeper and axially wider irear'end'whereby lug presents a Wedge surfaceinclined radially inwardly and axially upwardly for binding wction. on a receptacle uponwhich :said-cap-is applied-3 5. by rotation, the: beadat the rear end -'being flattened to provide a substantiallyverticalsyveU-l andr a-substantiallyhorizontal web to strengthen saidlug. p

3. A rotatable closure cap: comprising-1a, tou -MW! skirt terminating inwa rolled. -be'ad-,- and-ra plu-- rality of locking lugs formed in said-bead, each? of said lugs comprising a threadcontacti-ngr'porr; tion formed from said bead; inclined upwardly circumferentially of-thecap to present a: surface" 5; adapted to engage a thread orlugofa receptacle in wedging relation to bind said cap upon said-a receptacle, a portion of the bead-underlying said; thread contactingportion being collapsed toipror vide angularly' disposed portions andwa herbzontally flattened web connectedtheretoand dis-'- posedin-position to brace andz'strengthen; said; thread contacting portion. I

4. A closure cap comprising a tuna depending: skirt, a h'ollow rolled bead at-theedget-hereof, and 5a a plurality of locking. lugs comprising inwardly-T struck portions a of said-1-bead; each -1of said; lugsr having la" forward end-of minimum radial; depth i and arear-end of maximum; depth, and havinga'i thread engaging surface inclined upwardly fromn h'i said forward end toa maximum height adjacent said rear Y end; said bead adjacent said-rearwendm of said lug being collapsed" and thematerial thereof highly compressed; andta portionofsthef bead at the lugs being formed'into agsubstan- 3 v tially horizontal web underlying a portion of the thread-engaging surface to brace-the same, saidi thread engaging surface presentinga wedge-likessurfaceforcontact with a receptacle thread-xv 5. A 'closure cap comprisinga top,:a dependingw skirt, 'a hollow"rolled bead Eat f theredgeothereofi and a plurality of locking lugs comprising in" wardlyi struckportions of said bead, each 'of said lugs having: aforward end of minimum radial depth "an'd a rear end of 'maximuin depth; and'f distorted by theapDlicat-ion' of any reasonable having a thread engaging" Surface inclined ward-1y from said" forward end to a m'aximum height adajcent' said rear end, said forward end being bent bodily inwardlybut being substan 7o tially unchanged in cross section, said bead adi the bead at the lugs being formed into a substantially vertical web and a substantially horizontalweb underlying the thread engaging surface to strengthen and brace the same.

6. A rotatable closure cap comprising a top, 9. depending skirt, a circumferential hollow rolled edge, and a plurality of locking lugs formed'from inwardly struck sections of said rolled edge, each of said lugs comprising a substantially straight section of said rolled edge inclined from the forward end of the lug, rearwardly thereof, and inwardly with respect to a circumferential portion of the edge, each of said sections being uncollapsed throughout its major extent, but being collapsed at its innermost, rear end to resist wear and to effectually withstand sealing pressures applied thereto at that point, each of said lugs further comprising a short section connecting the rear end of the lug to the adjacent circumferential portion andbeing collapsed into substantially vertically disposed web form to brace and strengthen said lug.

'7. A closure cap comprising a top, a depending skirt terminating in a circumferential rolled bead, and a plurality of locking lugs, each of said lugs comprising an inclined'thread contacting surface disposed above an inwardly struck portion of said head, said inwardly struck portion of said bead terminating in a substantially collapsed inner end connected to the adjacent circumferential portion of said bead by an angularly and substantially radially disposed collapsed bead portion, a part of the material of said bead adjacent the juncture of said collapsed portions being substantially horizontally disposed and spanning the angle therebetween and underlying said inclined thread contacting surface to reinforce the same and brace said lug.

ERIC B. KRAMER. EDWARD M. ENKUR. 

